In his words, the concept of sustaining peace is essentially about positive peace as opposed to simply ending wars.
"But the unprecedented challenges from COVID-19 clearly risk pushing things in the wrong direction. As I highlighted in my previous briefings to the Council, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated communities and economies throughout the world, affecting the poorest and most vulnerable the most. The pandemic threatens not only hard-won development and peacebuilding gains, but also risks exacerbating conflicts or fomenting new ones. Questions are growing about the effectiveness of health systems, social services, trust in institutions and systems of governance," he said.
He pointed out that the challenges of this pandemic underscore like never before the imperative of coherent, multidimensional and cross-pillar responses along the integrated logic of the Sustainable Development Goals.
He marked three key dangers, "First, the erosion of public trust. Pandemics can undermine faith in Governments and public institutions. The perception that authorities are mishandling the crisis, or not being transparent, or favouring political allies can lead to public disillusion in government and its institutions," he said.
"Second, the destabilization of the global economic order. I am particularly concerned about the effects of heightened socioeconomic vulnerabilities, fuelled by an unprecedented global economic crisis. Without concerted action, inequalities, global poverty and the potential for instability and violence could grow for years," he marked.
Third, in his words, is the weakening of the social fabric — represented in, for example, the narrowing of civic space and the closing of avenues for democratic process and legitimate expression of grievances. "We have seen many peaceful protests, and in a number of countries, COVID-19 has been an excuse for harsh crackdowns and a spike in State repression. At least 23 countries have postponed national elections or referenda, and almost twice as many have postponed subnational votes," he said.
Photo source: picture from an open source